Principal, Riverheads Elementary School | VAESP Past President
Staunton, VA
Joined March 2009
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John Matherly retweeted
📘 My new Teaching for Attention Playbook is a 70+ page, evidence-informed guide that breaks down the science of attention and provides 6 practical strategies to support teachers.
It covers how to:
🎯 Secure Attention: Create the conditions for students to focus
🎯 Direct Attention: Guide students towards important information
🎯 Orchestrate Attention: Manage where attention goes as learning unfolds
👉 Want a free copy? REPOST and comment ATTENTION below, and I’ll DM you the link.
⏰ Available free until Wednesday 30 September at 11:59pm AWST
John Matherly retweeted
Ready for Day 3 of the VAESP Conference and the first day of July 2026!
If you are an elementary or middle level leader or an aspiring leader, or if you are central office supporting elementary or middle level leaders, be sure to mark this conference on your calendar for next year. This is the only conference like this in Virginia, and you should be here. When registration opens, jump on it. It will be sold out!
Join other outstanding leaders across Virginia and learn, lead, lean into one another for years to come. This is where the inspiration for Virginia school leaders happens—and this is how you can start your mornings!
@NAESP @KbartonKrista @WendyTillett @PStepko @AndrewBuchheit @EdCosentino11 @longwoodu @LongwoodCGPS @welv_va
John Matherly retweeted
The January #VAESPCHAT will take place next
Sunday , January 11, 2026 at 8pm EST. Guest Moderator- Author and Speaker:
@LexiOHudson Topic: The Soul of Civility:
Principles to Heal Society and Ourselves! @KbartonKrista @egoodman1215 @MrsASchott @Joe_Sanfelippo @jmatherly @NAESP
John Matherly retweeted
The December #VAESPCHAT will take place TOMORROW Sunday, December 14, 2025 at 8pm EST. Guest Moderator- Principal, Author, Speaker:
@Principal_EL Topic:Meeting the Needs of Staff and Students: Relationships,Joy, and Resilience @efranksnaesp @LexiOHudson @DrChrisCulver @theVAESP
John Matherly retweeted
The December #VAESPCHAT will take place next
Sunday , December 14, 2025 at 8pm EST. Guest Moderator- Principal, Author, Speaker:
@Principal_EL Topic: Meeting the Needs of Staff and Students: Relationships, Joy, and Resilience. @egoodman1215 @jmatherly @GinnyGills @BethHouf
John Matherly retweeted
The November #VAESPCHAT will take place this
Sunday , November 2, 2025 at 8pm EST. Guest Moderator- School Leader, Author, Speaker: @AllysonApsey
Topic: Less Talk, More Action. #ZONE3chat @GinnyGills @ChuckMossEDU @Joe_Sanfelippo @mitchemm13 @MrsZeffiro @miguelmigrant @MEMSPA
John Matherly retweeted
The October #VAESPCHAT will take place NEXT Sunday, Oct. 19, 2025 at 8pmET. As part of our #NationalPrincipalsMonth celebration,@NAESP Leaders will be joining me to present the Topic: Navigating AI
Tech Policy. @DrJamesLane @Joe_Sanfelippo @j_kaps07 @MsJachymiak @carrie_hruby
John Matherly retweeted
#VAESPchat tomorrow, Sunday, Sept 28 at 8pm ET with Guest Moderator Author and Administrator @nasonlollar Topic: 5 Principles of Educator Professionalism. #ZONE3chat @Nick_EdwardsEDU @jmatherly @ChuckMossEDU @Joe_Sanfelippo @branch7 @ToddWhitaker @donna_mccance @Schoolguy
John Matherly retweeted
#VAESPchat returns Sunday, Sept 28, 2025 @8pm ET!
This year we will focus on ONE Speaker each month.
The 25-26 Chat Schedule: Mark your calendars:
9/28- @nasonlollar
10/19- @NAESP
11/2 - @AllysonApsey
12/14 - @Principal_EL
1/11 - @LexiOHudson
2/22 - @DrChrisCulver
John Matherly retweeted
#VAESPCHAT WILL BE BACK NEXT SUNDAY, SEPT.28,2025 AT8P.M. WITH PRINCIPAL AND AUTHOR @nasonlollar
TOPIC:THE FIVE PRINCIPLES OF EDUCATOR PROFESSIONALISM:
REBUILDING TRUST IN SCHOOLS #ZONE3CHAT
Looking forward to seeing everyone again! @egoodman1215 @efranksnaesp @GinnyGills
John Matherly retweeted
#VAESPCHAT This Sunday, June 8, 2025 at 8pm EST.
Guest Moderator: Principal, Speaker, & Host of Self Reflect Saturdays @Nick_EdwardsEDU #BeKindWorkHardBeGreat
TOPIC: Closing out the School Year
@KbartonKrista @CcpWilson @DrZissios @MHawley_3 @MrsASchott @egoodman1215 @jmatherly
John Matherly retweeted
Our last #VAESPchat until September is today. -Sunday, June 8, 2025 at 8pm EST.
Guest Moderator: Principal, Speaker, & Host of Self Reflect Saturdays @Nick_EdwardsEDU #BeKindWorkHardBeGreat
TOPIC: Closing out the School Year @MrsASchott @egoodman1215 @jmatherly @CcpWilson
John Matherly retweeted
#VAESPchat this Sunday June 1 at 8pm ET. Guest: Principal and @theVAESP Federal Relations @MrsASchott Topic: Diving into away 25-26 @KbartonKrista @DrZissios @CcpWilson @jmatherly @ChuckMossEDU @egoodman1215 @MHawley_3 @Principal_H @tylerhart_htx @Nick_EdwardsEDU @DrRenaeBryant
A5 I have been talking with our coach lately and we have been talking about the need to set ourselves up for success before coaching. We are planning to implement a “house style” that will give us common language and common expectations around instruction. #VAESPCHAT
A4 Coaches have to build trust with coachees (and those they haven’t yet coached) in order to create that space. They have to be excellent questioners to help elicit deep reflection when exploring ideas and skills that are new to Ts. #VAESPCHAT
A3 we have a coach assigned to us nearly full time. (She has some division mentoring responsibilities that takes her away once in a while) She is amazing and works through cycles with teachers. Recently she recorded reflections from our Ts on the new ELA curriculum. #VAESPCHAT
Happy Sunday #VAESPchat! John Matherly, Principal of Riverheads Elementary checking in. We finished Wednesday, celebrated our staff on Thursday, then cleaned up to head out for our summer vacation!
A2 I did a number of read alouds and other video messages during the first few months of COVID. #VAESPCHAT